#8 How To Be Recruited & Play For A Top Coach with Chris Poole

Quotes from Chris

“My motto that i live by !Q:“Every choice you make have consequences”@4:23,whether it is in decision in job, life, the same way that i am raising my son and my daughter, they talk to me about things and i have repeated that many times when they were young and now when they are older.First i made decisions for them, that is what i am doing with my players also, we are trying to be prepared every year , every decision they made it is all critical, there is gonna be consequences, good positive, and negative for them.”

“In high school i realized that i really enjoy athletics, it is something that i wanted to do with my life , in the college i got in touch with boys and girls club. even when i was in college i started to coach and getting involved in teams”@6:40

!Q:“I had sucess, and i think that success was tight to that i am very committed and dedicated i am trying to learn, i was like that as player and i bring same attitude to coaching”@6.45

“My rise was the matter that i was humble when i was the young man , reaching people to learn , and i enjoy learning , i do not believe that there is one way of doing things , i do believe that if you keep an open mind, you are capable of pulling things from different peoples, and learn from different sources. “@10min

!RJO:”Who has been most influential in your life up until this point and what is the moment when you realize that they were?”“Support of my parent, but they support was so critical in everything that i done. Graduating and becoming coach was not popular in 1980.

!RJO:”What types of things you do when students are preparing to come to your school, and while are there especially 1st year to try to get them to that level so that they do not regret 4 years of learning lessons?”

!RJO: “What do see for being a main difference between international players and your American players?”@16.40“Internationals players tends to be a little more mature....

Nicole is a professional indoor volleyball player, graduating from Lincoln High School (Stockton, CA) in 2000. She helped her team to the NorCal championships in 1999 and 2000, as well as a gold medal at the Junior Olympics in 2000, with her local volleyball club, Delta Valley.

While attending and graduating from USC on a full-ride scholarship, she dominated the libero position (a defensive specialist who can substitute freely in the back row) in both her junior and senior seasons, leading USC to two consecutive NCAA National Championships, including an undefeated season. Following her collegiate career, she was invited to join the USA Women’s National Team. Internationally she has won two NORCECA Continental Championships in 2005 and 2011. Davis was also a part of all three World Grand Prix Gold Medal teams, winning back-to-back-to-back championships in 2010, 2011 & 2012, entering the record books as one of only two countries in the history of the tournament to win three-in-a-row. Other international highlights include podium finishes in 2007 and 2011 at the World Cup, earning Olympic births with both efforts. Nicole made her Olympic debut in 2008 in Beijing, winning a silver medal. You saw her wearing her number 6 jersey on television, while the USA team won another silver medal in London Olympic games in 2012. Most recently, she and her team made history winning the 2014 World Championships for the first time.

Nicole has also played professionally in 8 different countries, including Poland, Turkey, China, Azerbaijan, Italy, Germany, Romania and currently in France. Nicole continues to play and train with the USA National Team, and hopes to make a third Olympic roster for Rio in 2016, and is still chasing an allusive gold medal for the program.

Her happiest moments in sports include, winning back-to-back National Championships at USC, taking part in the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games, and representing our country on the USA Team.

Natania LEVAK | My International Student-Athlete Experience

Going to a foreign school is a big thing and a hard decision to make. You just have to have a strong mindset. Everything is in your head. If you’re determined to do something, if you set goals for yourself and do everything you can to accomplish them you’re on the right track. If you keep saying “I can’t”, “I’ll do it later”, “I’m not good enough” just remember: Yes you can! Do it now! You’re good enough! Bad thoughts won’t get you anywhere. Believe in yourself and everything else will come naturally. Give 100% each and every new day and never stop reaching for your dreams and goals. 

Comments for RJO?Ryan is the kindest. He always has the time to help others, he is super patient and answers whatever questions you have and always has the best advices. I know everyone wants to find a person that will never trick you, that will not let you down, just someone you can fully trust and Ryan is that person. Not only does he do all he can to help you, but you can also see him as a person to look up to - with the lifestyle he lives, the mindset he has and his intelligence. The more you get to know him, the more you'll be glad that you've contacted him in the first place. I personally couldn't choose a better person to help me get through all these preps to go study in the USA. RJO you rock! :) [Hvala Nati! Big hug!]

Comments for Beyond Athletic Podcast:I think the page is very helpful, it can answer a lot of your questions and you can learn so many new things through it's content. It has some great posts talking about preventing injuries, how nutriton and sleep is important for your progress, how to give 100% without fear and it has interviews with ex and current players in USA so you can get a better picture about what it's like to be here, how the days look like and all the things you would wanna know before you come here. All the posts are based on people talking about the things they've experienced themseves so you would definitely get a better understanding of being a high level athlete and you would get more prepared for all the things that you have to go through. I would recommend this page to anyone because it helped me a lot, helped me in the decision whether I should come to the States or not and I certainly do not regret my choice.

Comments for Elite Squared AKA Elite Sport Students’ Mentors:When I was preparing to go to the USA I had dozens of questions I wanted to ask and RJO connected me to a couple of girls (student mentors) that I can talk to because they've gone through the same thing as I did. I talked to Milica Kubura, Edina Selimovic, Edina Begic etc. I started to contact some other girls too by myself and it was nice to hear stories and experiences of the people just like you. It gives you additional courage, confidence and helps you make a decision of where you want to study and what your goals are.

Did you pay for their service? If so, how much?No, I didn't. It is so amazing to know every help I got from Beyond Athletic and RJO was completely free and just selflessly and generously given to me. I'm grateful that I found this site!

...how difficult was it to decide to go to a foreign school out of 10 (Very difficult)? 8

... If you knew what you know NOW... how difficult would it have been to decide to go to a foreign school out of 10 (Very Difficult)?? 0, Easy

What were the main things that convinced you to choose to go to a foreign school? :)I've heard so many different experiences and they were all positive. I knew volleyball and education were very important to me and there just wasn't a better place to combine those 2 in a very high level than the USA. My parents are the ones who gave me the biggest encouragement and just made me feel like I was making the right decision. Now that I'm here at WVU, with every new day I realize how grateful I am to be here and that this is the best possible option for me to grow not only as a player, but as a person in general.

...What, if any, were the difficulties in choosing to go to a foreign school?Well personally I was being indecisive for a long time. I didn't know if I was ready to leave my family, friends and my country and literally start a new life all by myself. I got so many encouragement from a lot of people and as the time went on I realized that's the best thing for me to do. It took me about 6 months to finally say that I'm ready to go to the States. The preparations were crazy, there was just a lot of things to do and I wasn't sure if everything's gonna be done on time. But it all turned out perfectly and now I'm here, making a lot of new friends, learning so many new things and enjoying life!

... and how did you overcome these obstacles to get to a foreign school?I just did a lot of reading, research, watched a lot of videos, talked to some people that have already studied in USA or are currently studying there and the more I did all these stuff the more I got confident about me going to a foreign school.

... how helpful were the staff at the school with getting you admitted out of 10 (Super Helpful)? 10

What things helped you get everything done to get to a foreign school?I think my parents are the ones I have to thank the most about that. They're the best!

Why did you decide to go to a foreign school?Because those kinds of things are opportunities that come once in a lifetime and that can help you build the person you wanna be and get more responsible and mature. Learning about a new culture, living in a different society, experiencing new lifestyles and mindsets can only help you grow as a person and become more independent.

Lastly, your experience at your foreign school...

...your happiness with international student-athletics out of 10 (LOVE IT!)? 10

...What, if any, were the difficulties to adjust to life in your school’s country?American food, getting up really early for practices, getting used to difficult practices which drain a lot of energy from you in the start and you just wanna sleep but in the same time you have to study and go to classes...

... and how did you overcome these obstacles to adjust to school life?Eventually you get used to all those things and they just become a part of your daily routine. You just have to stay strong and think about how all those things are only gonna help you improve yourself

...What were your best experiences in your foreign school?Meeting all of my coaches and my new teammates which are better than I could imagine, meeting new people, making new friendships, perfecting my english speaking skills... What amazes me most is seeing all these people here just trying to improve themselves on a daily basis, not only athletes but all the other people. I think this change of environment can only do good things for me. I couldn't like the fact thay I'm here more than I do! I get positive experiences each and every day!

Anything else you’d like to mention?Going to a foreign school is a big thing and a hard decision to make. You just have to have a strong mindset. Everything is in your head. If you're determined to do something, if you set goals for yourself and do everything you can to accomplish them you're on the right track. If you keep saying "I can't", "I'll do it later", "I'm not good enough" just remember: Yes you can! Do it now! You're good enough! Bad thoughts won't get you anywhere. Believe in yourself and everything else will come naturally. Give 100% each and every new day and never stop reaching for your dreams and goals.

Tell your experience BEFORE you got to your foreign school...

...choose any of the following that helped you in your process of deciding/getting to a foreign school:Parents,

...how difficult was it to decide to go to a foreign school (0-10 being the most)?8

... If you knew what you know NOW... how difficult would it have been to decide to go to a foreign school (0-10 being the most)??0

What were the main things that convinced you to choose to go to a foreign school? :)The main four things that made me to come in US are: to play volleyball of course, to get a college degree, to learn how to speak English, and new experience!

...What, if any, were the difficulties in choosing to go to a foreign school?Being far from my family...

... and how did you overcome these obstacles to get to a foreign school?Easy... just put on the piece of paper what would I gain and what would I lose by coming here... My gains won, and my decision was obvious!

... how helpful were the staff at the school with getting you admitted (0-10 being the most)?10

What things helped you get everything done to get to a foreign school?Coaches from the University helped me a lot, and foreign student-athletes !

Lastly, your experience at your foreign school...

...your happiness with international student-athletics?10

...What, if any, were the difficulties to adjust to life in your school’s country?Whenever I first came here I couldn't speak English that well so that was basically the most difficult for me, and I would say "adjusting to food"

... and how did you overcome these obstacles to adjust to school life?By studying more and more every day, talking to people and meeting new friends! By realizing it was easier and easier every day...

...What were your best experiences in your foreign school?Seeing all these big beautiful Gyms...visiting a lot of different states...different program of practices and workouts...how much you can be appreciated only if you work hard and share your positivism....meeting families and friends that will stay forever in my life...coaching little girls (11's,12's,13's)...tasting the best deserts in the world...making 2nd round of NCAA last year...visiting my family in California two years in a row...much more...

Anything else you’d like to mention?I did NOT regret 0.1% for my decision to come here! It's a one life opportunity and one life journey!